Spiffy:

Iffy:

We have received a number of emails asking why it is that games appearing on both the 360 and PS3 seem to score higher on the 360, and generally it's because the 360 seems to handle these games a bit better than Sony's machine. In our video interview with John Carmack of id Software, the revered co-creator of Doom makes reference to an issue with the PS3's memory as a stumbling block for many developers which could account for this. Fortunately for the burgeoning army of happy PS3 players, however, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 could be one of the first games to serve as proof that poor ports needn't be the norm.

Ghosts Go to Mexico

We loved GRAW 2 on 360, so it was with a sort of nervous anticipation that we sat down with the game on PS3. Within the first few minutes of play, however, whatever misgivings we may have had about this game's PS3 debut were all but squelched completely. There seems to be a number of improvements here, not the least of which is a sort of rolling cartwheel kind of move that our hero Captain Scott Mitchell can now perform. Also, the might of Sony's cell processor is clearly evident in the clarity of the video as it streams through Mitchell's Cross-Com (a little picture-in-picture window that delivers precious intel and orders).

This is not to say that there are zero issues, because the frame rate seems to chug almost constantly. Though not completely tragic, it is noticeable. Of course, the build that we are using is not a final release version of the game, so there is still hope that the choppiness can be eradicated, and because optimization is typically the last thing that developers can implement (frequently improving game performance significantly) we're inclined to maintain a positive outlook.

Another more troubling issue is that the environmental textures seem decidedly low-res, with nearby dunes appearing as collections of blocky splotches that resemble dirt only at a distance. This is particularly evident when playing the game at maximum resolution, because while Mitchell and his team are gloriously rendered, the locales in which they find themselves are not. Still, noting that this only applies to the environmental textures leads us to think that it may simply be a case of the final textures not being in place in our preview build rather than exemplifying the finished look of the game.

Really, that's where the comparison between the 360 and PS3 versions end. They appear to be identical in most respects with only a few improvements and limited drawbacks. And, really, the biggest bonus here is that it was a superb gaming experience on the 360, so it logically follows that it will kick ass on the PS3 as well.